Gun availability is one of the major contributing factors in these stories. And the factor of gun availability can be blamed on the NRA, the gun manufacturers and the gun-rights advocates. Here's how it works.Three people were killed Thursday after a chaotic shooting scene that had crowds running for cover in a crime-ridden section of Louisville.Two men — Tyson Mimms, 24 and Craig Bland Jr., 22 — were killed Thursday afternoon in a shooting that attracted dozens of onlookers anxious for answers in the city's Russell neighborhood, which is dotted with boarded-up houses.As police investigated and a host of media gathered nearby, shots rang out about four houses down. Makeba Lee, 24, was killed after she was shot by a woman who had gotten into an argument with her about the incident, police said.
There are three main ways in which guns are channeled into the criminal world. 1. straw purchasing, 2. personal sales without background checks, and 3. theft. Each of those are still viable because of the lack of common-sense legislation which would either eradicate them or severely diminish them.
Who do you think is fighting tooth and nail to prevent licensing and registration which would eliminate straw purchasing, and universal background checks which would stop criminals from buying guns from lawful sellers, and safe storage laws which would cut way down on theft?
That's why I blame them. We all agree that criminals and gang bangers are always going to do their thing, but allowing them easy access to guns is wrong.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
I'm a cop who works an urban area rife with violence. You're completely wrong. Guns save more innocent lives than they ever take. Just because the media doesn't report it doesn't mean it isn't true. I'm on the street every day and see it.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to reduce violence, start by putting (and keeping) criminals in jail. Passing more laws restricting firearms does no good. We already have laws against murder and rape...so far they haven't prevented a single one. Keeping a dirtbag locked in a prison, on the other hand, does prevent them from victimizing some innocent.
Thanks for your opinion. It shows that cops are not immune to being biased in favor of guns.
DeleteIn other words, this police officer doesn't agree with your side, so you dismiss what was said?
DeleteYou're damn right I am biased. I'm out on the street dealing with violence first-hand, not sitting back reading about it on some news website. After critical analysis, considering the historical perspective and the reality on the street, I am biased for two things:
Delete1. Criminals should be kept in jail - not released early, put on probation, or excused for their evil deeds.
2. Law abiding citizens should be allowed to possess firearms and/or other weapons for their protection.
I really don't understand how a racist policy of disarming minority groups has morphed into some sort of faux "enlightened" position.
I have no problem with your points, 1 and 2. The only thing I believe we need to do is tighten up a bit on who qualifies for number 2. Too many "law-abiding" citizens prove to be unfit to manage guns safely. You must see that on the job too?
Delete1. This happened in Kentucky. Why is it tagged St. Louis?
ReplyDelete2. You have yet to explain how a country that can't keep illegal drugs and immigrants from coming across the southern border could stop a flow of guns if your proposals were to pass.
3. You have yet to explain how a country with hundreds of millions of unregistered guns wouldn't develop a vast black market if your proposals were to pass.
4. You have yet to acknowledge that licensing and registration are necessary steps for the government to take guns away from good citizens. We've provided you examples of where that's happened. The most that you've said is that people in those places can still have guns, as if being allowed to own one or two small caliber rifles is all that matters.
5. You have yet to explain how a gun in a safe can be used for self defense.
6. You have yet to explain how a new law would make the difference. Straw purchasing is already illegal, as is murder. Those are directly bad acts. We have laws against them to punish those who commit the crime, not to prevent the crime from occurring. Laws prevent only law abiding citizens from doing wrong.
7. You have yet to acknowledge that we can't trust your side to pass only a limited number of necessary laws that won't infringe on our rights and then stop.
Beyond those items, you make complete sense.
1. fixed it, thanks.
Delete2. guns would come in, but the availability would be less.
3. we already have a black market, it would gradually be diminished.
4. confiscation of guns by the government is self-serving paranoia.
5. gun safes can be opened in seconds.
6. straw purchasing can only be eliminated if guns bought are linked to the buyer through registration.
7. you can trust us.
2. You mean the way that the availability of drugs has gone down?
Delete3. There are 300,000,000 guns in this country, possibly more. How long are you willing to wait?
4. So records of the places where guns were first registered and then banned need to be sent down the memory hole?
5. When my life is in danger, I don't want to waste extra seconds.
6. Perhaps, but we won't agree to registration, and the ones that cross the border illegally will never be registered.
7. Yeah, right. And I have land a few miles east of Daytona that I'd like to sell you.
We can trust you?
DeleteHahahahah
You are a Poe's Law example!
"7. you can trust us."
DeleteNo offense intended, but you and your co-bloggers may be the least trustworthy people on the planet. OK, offense intended.
Trust you? Like Canada and California kind of trust you? You know, gun registry was created and then that list was used to seize guns the government didn't like. That kind of trust Mike? That is exactly why we don't trust you, because your side has proven time and time again that they can't be trusted. New York, Chicago, and Washington DC are shining examples that your proposals don't work.
DeleteSo what's your solution, to make it easier and easier for unfit people to get guns?
DeleteMikeb, you're not listening. Unfit people will always have guns in this country. There are too many guns here already and too long a border to prevent those people from being armed. Your rules only disarm fit people.
DeleteThat wouldn't solve anything but thanks for taking the cheap shot.
DeleteWe could start with education. Children today are exposed to approximately 200,000 acts of violence by age 18 thanks to TV and movies. Add in the violent video games and the number doubles. I don't believe movies and games are the cause of youth violence but I believe it desensitizes them to the real-world effects of violence. Youth today are sheltered from real guns and from real death. Guns violence has increased in direct correlation with people being removed from real death. 50 years ago hunting and farm life exposed kids to death. Today people are sheltered from it and I think it has an effect. Sheltering kids from ever seeing a firearm and hoping they never touch one when they get older isn't working. They should be taught basic gun safety and gun handling.
I don't know what the answer is for crime and punishment but what we are doing today isn't working. Our courts have become a revolving door and criminals don't fear punishment. Deterring crime only happens when criminals fear the punishment and that isn't the case today. Longer sentences don't seem to have an effect. We need to develop real methods to reform criminals. Ways to change their behavior and make them productive members of society instead of locking them up for years in places where they only learn how to be better criminals.
Passing more gun control laws that only affect law abiding citizens isn't the answer. The brady bill and the so called assault weapon ban did nothing to reduce crime even though both were passed with the promise they would do exactly that.
It's not an either/or deal. We can do all those things you want with education and also work on gun availability.
DeleteYou see, that's why your arguments are bogus. You want to do anything to avoid addressing the gun availability part of the problem.
We refuse to do anything about "gun availability" the same way that we won't do anything to reduce book availability. Rights are rights. It's not the object that matters; it's the behavior of the person. We refuse to accept your judgement about people in advance. We're innocent and we have rights until we do something wrong. That's democracy and due process.
DeleteMy argument is bogus? Gun control advocates promised us that the brady bill would reduce the number of guns criminals had. The exact same arguments you are using are what they used to get that bill shoved through congress. Proof is in the pudding and the fact is that bill did nothing but add a "fee" (fancy way of adding a tax) to every gun I buy. Crime didn't drop, criminals weren't left unarmed, and lawful gun owners paid for it. Now you claim that private sales are arming criminals. You want to make it a crime for me to buy or sell a gun to family or friends. You want to further infringe on what shouldn't have been infringed on in the first place.
DeleteYou say I don't want to address part of the problem. When are you going to address that gun control doesn't work. We have laws making murder, rape, armed robbery, assault, and theft a crime. Doing so while armed is supposed to increase the sentence but is hasn't done anything to curb those crimes. The UK and Australia have both banned or severely limited the ownership of firearms but their crime rate remains higher than the US. So what if criminals aren't using guns to commit those crimes anymore, they are still committing crimes and citizens are left defenseless. During the riots people were left hanging as police wouldn't respond. You blame guns for a crime problem.
Greg, Gun availability to criminals is not a "right."
DeleteScott, you say it doesn't work which is a very convenient position for you to take. I say it would work if done properly.
You have to stop making that tired comparison to the UK. They have a rate of intentional homicide 4 times lower than ours. That is directly related to gun availability.
Encourage legal gun ownership. People aren't targeted to be slaughtered like animals when they are also armed. And if they are targeted then they don't have to wait however long it takes for some LEOs to ride in and save the day.
ReplyDeleteYeah great to see your article on gun manufacturers as I am also looking to buy a new gun which should be very powerful and also looking for servicing facility for old one. Thanks
ReplyDeleteAs soon as politics, law and the rest of you idiots can guarantee that my kids wont be killed. that my family wont have to wait 8 min for help to show up.... 8 minutes can kill alot of people while they obey the laws!?!? enuff to make a dog puke
ReplyDeleteYou cannot take someones right to defend themselves and family
ReplyDeleteGuarantee that i wont have to and we got a deal